1) What is "The Method"?
Lee Strasberg's Method is derived from the work of Stanislavski and his own work at the Group
Theatre and The Actors Studio. Its main goal is to help the actor create real thoughts and
emotions under imaginary circumstances. "The Method" is the most widely used acting
technique in America. Countless famous actors you can see on stage or on screen today have
trained in this acting method. You can study Lee Strasberg's method at the Lee Strasberg
Theatre Institute in New York and Los Angeles.
Here are the basics of this acting method:
Relaxation
An important goal of this acting technique is to get rid of the muscular tensions that keeps the
actor's instrument from being free. Lee Strasberg believed that actors who can relax their
muscles reach a higher state of concentration and responsiveness.
Sense Memory and Concentration
The actor develops concentration through sense memory exercises. As the name suggests,
sense memory is the use of the actor's senses to recall objects and experiences. A beginning
method actor will first explore a real object, like a cup of coffee, through all five senses, then
put the object down and try to recall the sensory experience of what the object looked like,
tasted like, smelled like, etc. A more experienced actor would work on an exercise recalling an
experience, such as what it feels like to be sick or to be hungry.
Here are a few examples of other sense memory exercises a more advanced actor would work
on:
- An overall sensation such as being in the rain or extreme heat
- Exploring a place with all five senses
- Exploring a personal object with sentimental value
- Re-creating the experience of being in private ("the private moment exercise", a great one to
deal with stagefright)
Eventually, an advanced actor will combine several sense memory exercises at once. Not only
do sense memory exercises help method actors believe in the given circumstances of the scene
they're working on, but they give them great focus and concentration.
Emotional Memory
Method actors learn to use sense memory to recall emotional experiences from their past.
Instead of trying to remember or force an emotion, the actor tries to re-create with his senses
the circumstances surrounding the experience. For example, he would use sense memory to recreate where he was at the time, what he smelled, the sounds he heard, etc. With practice, an
accomplished method actor can trigger the right emotion for his character within seconds by
simply recalling a single smell or sound.
Characterization
Lee Strasberg also developed several exercises to help actors create believable characters on
stage. The most well known is the animal exercise where a method student will observe an
animal and then try to create the experience of being that animal through their five senses.
With practice, the actor can pick a couple of attributes of the animal and incorporate them into
the role he's playing.
Scene Work
Strasberg also guided actors on how to work on a scene or play. Method actors use a list of
questions when they prepare for a role such as Who Am I ? Where Am I? What do I want?, etc.
This acting method also encourages the use of improvisation and substitution to make the
scene more real to the actor (for example, an actor can imagine a good friend in place of his
partner in the scene if he's having problems with the relationship). Method actors also use a lot
of the acting techniques developed by Stanislavski (like breaking a scene into beats and action
verbs).
Lee Strasberg developed many other exercises to help the actor with specific problems. For
example, the moment-to-moment exercise helps the actor with spontaneity while another
exercise, named the song-and-dance exercise, helps to free the actor from habitual behavior.
What is the Stanislavski system?
Stanislavski developed a lot of acting techniques that are commonly used by modern actors
today. Here are a few highlights of the Stanislavsky system you'll want to be familiar with as an
actor:
Using your imagination to create real emotions on stage
In order to believe in the given circumstances of the play, Stanislavsky actors use the magic if:
"What if this was really happening to me?" Actors also use their imagination to create their
character by asking themselves questions like:
"Where do I come from?"
"What do I want?"
"Where am I going?"
"What will I do when I get there?"
You can also use the magic if to make up details about the props you use on stage.
Action versus Emotion
Stanislavsky actors try to find the super-objective of the play (i.e. the theme or driving force of
the play). Then, they break down the script into objectives (what the character wants to
accomplish), obstacles (what's in his or her way) and actions (what are the different things the
character can do to try to reach his objective). The Through-Line links all the units together into
the super-objective. Using these acting methods helps you concentrate on the action rather
then the emotion by making each objective an active verb.
Here are a few examples of active verbs that can be objectives:
To help
To hurt
To praise
To demean
To leave
To keep
To convince.
Relaxation and Concentration
Actors who study this acting technique learn to relax their muscles and not use any extra
muscles then the ones needed to perform a particular action. They also work on concentration
so they can reach a state of solitude in public and not feel tense when performing on stage. One
way they learn to do that is by concentrating on a very small area at first and then widening the
circle of concentration until it includes the entire stage.
Emotional Memory
Stanislavsky students learned to access their own memories to call upon emotions needed to
play certain scenes and acting roles, but unlike Method Actors, Stanislavsky actors also work
"from the outside in", accessing emotions through physical actions.
Character-building techniques
Stanislavsky students learned how to find their characters' inner motives, but also how to build
a character "from the outside in" through physicality and voice. For example, a student of
Constantin Stanislavski would explore his character's rhythm through repetition (by rehearsing
his lines over and over until he discovered the right tempo).
Here's an interesting slideshow that will give you some more in-depth guidance on how a
Stanislavsky actor should rehearse a new play:
2) What can you expect?
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Work on relaxation and concentration
Most Stanislavski classes will start with a brief relaxation session, followed by some
concentration exercises. A beginning actor may do general concentration exercises
while a more advanced actor may be asked to do sensory exercises or emotional
memory exercises that help him re-create the given circumstances of the play he's
working on (for example, if his character has just been outside in the snow before the
scene starts, the actor may do a sensory exercise to re-create the feeling of the snow).
A lot of homework
When you study the Stanislavsky technique well, you'll spend a lot of time using the
magic if to create full bios for your characters and to make up scenes that took place
outside of the play. You'll also spend a lot of time writing subtext for your scenes (i.e.
breaking the scenes down into units and turning each unit into an action verb).
Some improvisation
For example, you may be asked to improvise a scene that is not in the play but took
place between your character and another.
Physical and vocal training
Stanislavsky believed that acting starts with the actor's body. Through a series of
exercises and an introduction to the art of costumes and make-up, you will find your
character's physicality. A good Stanislavsky teacher will also teach you rhythm and
tempo and recommend you take a speech class, a singing class and a dance class to
support your acting training.
1) What is the Meisner acting method?
This acting method was inspired by Stanislavski. Sanford Meisner studied with Lee Strasberg at
the Group Theatre but then developed his own method, rejecting sense memory and anything
that keeps the actor "in his head". The goal of his acting technique is to prepare the actor to
follow his instincts and be spontaneous on stage.
The reality of doing
Sanford Meisner believed that an actor has to be involved in something real onstage for the
audience to be really engaged. The actor becomes the character by doing, by committing to the
action and acting on his impulses. Meisner often reminded his students to play.
Moment-to-Moment Acting
The only thing that's real is what's happening in the moment. One actor responding to another
in the moment. Instead of deciding in advance on objectives and beats, the Meisner-trained
actors strive to experience each scene now. Meisner devised several "repetition exercises" and
improvisation exercises to help actors shift focus from themselves to their acting partners so
they can react truthfully to what is happening in the moment.
Imagination and preparation
Meisner actors use their imagination to enter each scene charged with the emotion of the
given circumstances of the play. Meisner believed that "the fantasy of daydreaming" is much
more powerful and reliable then the use of sense memory or emotional memories from our
own past. Meisner students are encouraged to make up fantasies that will stimulate them to
feel like the character. For example, if a character enters a scene in a rage but the actor playing
the role can't relate to the given circumstances of the play, the actor will "daydream" a
situation that would put him in a rage. This is only used as preparation to start the scene. Once
the actor is in the scene, he lets go of his preparation and reacts moment-to-moment.
2) What can you expect?
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A lot of exercises
Whether it's improvisation or repetition exercises, you'll do a lot of exercises before you
get to the actual dialogue from your scenes. In order to stay spontaneous on stage,
you'll be asked to learn your lines "flat" (mechanically), without deciding in advance
where to pause or how to say the line, so there won't be much traditional rehearsal
homework.
A challenge
Sanford Meisner said, "It's all right to be wrong, but it's not all right not to try." In this
acting method, every line uttered by the actor has to come out of a genuine impulse.
This is not an easy thing to do, especially when you're eager to act. Learning moment-tomoment acting is a challenge and you may often feel frustrated.
Questions and Answers
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1.
Stanislavksy was one of the first theatre actors to systematically investigate the notion of
o
A.
Focus
o
B.
Control
o
C.
Motivation
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2.
Stanislavksy would define "public solitude" as
o
A.
The audience's appropriate response to a play
o
B.
The need for an actor to focus attention on the events of the play rather than its
impact on an the audience
o
C.
A technique used in performance art
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3.
An actors trained and skillful use of voice and body make up his or her
o
A.
Presence
o
B.
Virtuosity
o
C.
Magic
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4.
The actor's instrument is made up of two parts. Which answer does not belong?
o
A.
Psychological
o
B.
Physiological
o
C.
Psychosomatic
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5.
There are three basic elements that make up voice. Which answer does not belong?
o
A.
Breathing
o
B.
Pronunciation
o
C.
Phonation
o
D.
Resonance
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6.
According to Stanislavsky, ______ is a character's "objective", "want", "intention", or
"goal".
o
A.
Zadacha
o
B.
Super objective
o
C.
Spine
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7.
Both representational and presentational acting are necessary for great acting.
o
A.
True
o
B.
False
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8.
Emotional memory stayed centreal to Stanislavksy's teachings.
o
A.
True
o
B.
False
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9.
The most important element of the actor's psychological instrument is
o
A.
Emotional Recall
o
B.
Imagination
o
C.
Mental stability
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10.
According to the text, there are three elements that make up the Actor's Approach. Which
answer does not belong?
o
A.
The identification of the character's primary goal in relation to the other characters
o
B.
The identification of the tactics necessary to achieve goals and avoid defeats
o
C.
The ability to focus backstage and "become" a character
o
D.
Research into the style of the play